The Organisation of Bulgarian Scouts (Bulgarian Организация на българските скаути, Organizatsia na Bulgarskite Skauty), the primary national Scouting organization of Bulgaria, became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1999; work towards World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts membership recognition remains unclear. The coeducational Organisation of Bulgarian Scouts had 2,109 members as of 2011[1] and 304 members as of 2021.[2]
| Organisation of Bulgarian Scouts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Организация на българските скаути | |||
| Country | Bulgaria | ||
| Founded | 1995 | ||
| Membership | 2,109 | ||
| Affiliation | World Organization of the Scout Movement | ||
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| Website http://www.scout.bg/ | |||
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History
editThe Organization of Bulgarian Young Scouts (Организацията на българските младежи разузнавачи - ОБМР) was founded in 1923 from three first scouts in Varna, Sofia and Samokov. In the second half of 1924, ОБМР was recognized and admitted as a member of the World Bureau of Boy Scouts, based in London.[3] In 1940, with a brief letter to the International Scout Office in London, the leaders of the ОБМР reported on their self-dissolution, forced by the Ministry of War, General Hristo Lukov.[citation needed]
Scouting was outlawed after the war as well, when communists controlled Bulgaria.
Rebirth
editScouting resumed in 1989 when the Berlin Wall was taken down, but it did not meet WOSM requirements for membership until 1995. The negative legacy of the Communist youth organizations contributed to slow growth of the Scouting movement, as it left the Scouts ill-equipped and without experienced leadership or established programs.
The Organisation of Bulgarian Scouts was accepted into the World Organization of the Scout Movement on January 17, 1999 as its 151st member and given an official welcome to WOSM at the World Scout Conference in South Africa on July 25, 1999. There are 57 Scout groups spread through Bulgaria, including in 20 of the largest cities and towns, with a membership of approximately 2,000. Sea Scouts are present in the city of Silistra, located on the Danube River, and on the Black Sea. The organization is volunteer-run. The Organisation of Bulgarian Scouts is open to both males and females. Bulgarian Scouts are well-publicized in their country and active in community development, including participating in projects related to reforestation and the Bulgarian Red Cross. They have an annual national Jamboree.
The Bulgarian noun for a single Scout is Скаут.
Program
edit- Cubs are 7 to 11 years of age
- Scouts are 12 to 18
- Rovers are 18 to 35
Ideals
editMotto
editScouts—"Be Prepared"
Sea Scouts—"Love the Sea"
Scout Oath
editda ispulnjavam dulga si kum Boga I otechestvoto, da pomagam vinagi na drugite, da spasvam sakona na Skauta.
to do my duty to God and to the fatherland, to help others at all times and to obey the Scout Law.
Scout Law
editScautut e predan na Boga, Otechestvoto, obshtestvoto i semejstvoto si
Scautut e dluzen da bude polesen i da pomaga na drugite
Scautut e prijatel na vsichki i brat na vseki drug Scout
Scautut e vezliv i etichen
Scautut e prijatel na zivotnite i opasva okolnata sreda
Scautut projavjava chustvo na uvagenie
Scautut e vesel i sas visok duh
Scautut e pesteliv i opazva chastnata i obshtestvena sobstvenost
Scautut e chist vav mislitr, dumit i delata si
A Scout is loyal to God, the fatherland, society and his family
A Scout's duty is to be useful and to help others
A Scout is a friend to all and brother to every other Scout
A Scout is courteous
A Scout is kind to animals and protects the environment
A Scout is respectful and obedient
A Scout is cheerful and has spirit
A Scout is thrifty and respects all property
A Scout is clean in thought, word and deed
Emblem
editThe membership badge of Organisation of Bulgarian Scouts incorporates the Cyrillic letters О-Б-С (O-B-S).
References
edit- ^ "Triennal review: Census as at 1 December 2010" (PDF). World Organization of the Scout Movement. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 2011-01-13.
- ^ "WOSM's Membership Census | Scout Learning Zone". learn.scout.org. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
- ^ Keesing's Contemporary Archives, Keesing's Limited., 1937, p. 2725.
- Information derived from reports of Thomas N. Turba, International Representative of the Indianhead Council, Boy Scouts of America in Saint Paul, Minnesota, who led Scout contingents from Minnesota to Bulgaria in 1993 and 1995.